The Bozeman weekly chronicle. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1883-1889, 1887-02-16

"Say" said a friend to me yesterday,
don't you think the 18th legislative
would have acted wisely had
merely amended the old laws on our
:atue books and gone home" This, l
nd to be the sentiment Of more than
man, although all agree that this
,~gislative body is as good AS any that
as preceded it and decidedly superior
. the one of two years ago. Had the
sgislature done as my friend suggest the
blest of our lawyers would certainly
AVE suffered, for it is the inaccuracies
nd faulty construction of many laws
hat make the law business 30 remuner-
tive to those who are capable of
lnraveling the intricate tangle. 1t is
he desire of the legislature to enact laws
If a high moral character, and while l
should be the | st to abet demoralizing
legislation, 1 think that this body
is rather OVERRIDING or attempting. to
the "goody-good' business.
Montana is rapidly assuming the digni-
6cation of Rhode Island; but similar
legislation is not yet al popular. This
high moral tone is no doubt actua.
ted by a desire to please the W. c. 7. U.
and the knights of Labor organizations,
both on the side of temperance and
morality in precept and as a body.
The majority of the members of this
legislature wish to make a record and
while there are those who have never
opened their heads upon any subject.
vote only as a matter of form and often
without the slightest idea of how they
vote, such members are few. Much has
been expected Of the legislature and the
astute politician is aware of this fact.
He is anxious to make a record but
finds so many who are as equally anxious
that he is puzzled and kept busy in
devising means and measures that will
keep him in the swim.
%
There will be no law enacted this year,
I fear, providing for a county auditor. In
its stead a bill has been introduced by
Collins of Choteau, providing for the
appointment of a territorial examiner,
whose duty it shall be to examine the
accounts of the officers, require a uni
form system of bookkeeping, and to
have supervision of the acts of the coun-
ty commissioners. In my opinion, this
will be the ''softest snap" yet provided
for the ofice-seeker. 1t is ~preposterous
and absurd to the extreme to assert that
an examiner, be he ever SO competent,
can carr a salary by simply examining
the books of the respective counties
once a year. If the counties cannot
afford to employ a county auditor who
will do the work well, they had better not
have it done at all.
%
The appointment of DIR. Holloway to
be veterinary surgeon of Montana, meets
the general satisfaction of the cattlemen
with whom ! have conyersed. The Doc
tor informs me that there were, con-
servatively estimated, $50 900 head Of
cattle shipped into this territory in 1885.
He also informs me that he will make
his headquarters at Helena. Granville
Stuart, Omar Hoskins and other cattle
men have been in session here during
the week. The meeting was not as large
ly attended as usual, as the services oil
many are required among their bands.
%
Among the needed acts of legislation
which VIII souu uo maui II law W tne
10Th legislature, is a new road law. Tie
"old heads have taken this important
matter in hand, and from a hurried
glance at its provisions, 1 am prepared
to say that it will be highly satisfactory
to u farmers, especially the provision
which compels ditch owners to bridge
their irrigating bitches at points where
roads cross, and afterwards the county
will take care of the bridges, and keep
them in repair. The bill is compiled
from road laws in adjoining states and
territories, and will surely be conducive
of better highways.
90
Messrs. King and Ash. two gentlemen
of Billings, are here and have a scheme
on hand that at once shows itself to be
the output of that fertile and active
brain possessed by King. 1t is nothing
less than a proposition to build a peniten.
tiary at Billings, which shall be present.
ed, with ample and suitable grounds, tc
the territory, after a lapse of a few years
In the meanwhile, the builders are t.
have the labor of the convicts, and to b.
paid as-much for their maintenance as il
now paida Deer Lodge. These gentlemen
are honest and sincere, and their projec
is simply an enterprise intended to al
vertise the stone quairies at Billings
and add a public building to a city
where public improvements are full,
appreciated. I had supposed that Bill
lings had designs upon a more promi
nent territorial institution than the peni
Tertiary, and presumed that it woul,
accept nothing less than the capital, in
asmuch as our state constitution permit
only enc stale building to be erected ii
each town.
The registration bill will not become
law during this session. Our thinkin
legislators know full well that it woul
be impossible to induce general registrs
ton, and that such a law at presen
would only defeat the purpose for whic
it was intended. The riff.raff woul
register, and the honest ranchman an
stockman could not.
90
There are a large number of BozemaI
ties here constantly, attracted by tn
opera and other forms of amusement, n
doubt; as one seem to have more tina
a passing interest in legislation. Jill
Ponsford is still here and the way i
which he chaperones the various visitor
from the rural districts of the electri
lit CITY of the Gallatin. entities him tn